China Riotous Fans

Pent-up emotions in Peking

The final whistle had sounded. Before a crowd of 80,000 in Peking's Workers' Stadium, Hong Kong had knocked China out of contention for the 1986 World Cup, and the Chinese players, humiliated by their 2-1 defeat, stormed off the soccer field without so much as a handshake for their opponents. Then the real action began. From the stands, angry fans unleashed a volley of soda bottles. Soon hordes of spectators poured onto the field in pursuit of the victors, forcing the Hong Kong team to flee to a room reserved for dignitaries. Others besieged the home team's locker room, smashing windows...